New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-04

already seen the employment Of labor BY capital ia in
sense form Of assocaang labor IN the prosecution of
sssocaon 81 labor into coopcratyo relation 70
sSa s AND s wcaG be- p the S
the enterprise directing II and to the capital giving IL
over labor and 80 long industries organized
upon the divisions Of employer and epoye 80 a Img
would at once become its own master
DELUsIvE THEORIES OF POLITICAL ECONOMISTS
aThe political economists and the communists have
much say concerning the distribution OF wealth. Thcy
are constantly declaring that while country presents
tho spectacle of government wherein there an equal
distribution of political power there is great disparity
OF condition with reference TO the possession of wealth.
MANY writers upon the science of political economy have
declared that II Is the duty OF nation first to encourage
the creation of wealth. and second to direct and control
it's distribution All such theories are delnsive. The
production Of wealth the result OF agreement between
labor and capital, between employer and employed Its
distributions Therefore will follow the law OF its creation
| or great injustice will be done The individual who
comes to YOU claiming that because have more than
himself you should divide part OF 1t with him. Is claim
ing percentage in your manhood, share In your pro-
ductye capacity He is denying to you the right TO pro
duce either with your labor, as you have right to
do or through the employment of the labor OF Others
which you have equal right to do, more than bare
subsistence for yourself The only distribution OF wealth
which product OF labor which will be honest VIII
come through more equal distribution OF the pro
ductve capacity OF men, and the cooperative prhclpe
leads directly to this contamination.
| "Al legislative experiments IN the way OF mihlig
forcibe distribution of the wealth produced IN any
country failed Their first effect has been to destroy
wealth. destroy productive industries TO paraiyze
enterprise and inct upon labor the greatest caani
ties it has ever SO ong as aSor %nS
consents to voluntary scrvitude OF laying premium
the many remain comparatively poo As at present
organized, the Industries OF the world are under the
and producfiy c Capacity and SKILL he must first make
agreement with an employer before ne can can III max IKE
Vineyard at the eleventh hour OF the day iound thc
iders in the market2ace ana gnesuIhea r 1I To
Because man hath bred us They were wal wall g,
lust very large percentage OF the laborng world mas
waited for some else to open avenues OF employ
men It,, ,oootod tocooperotive relation intelligent
educated labor possesses the capacity for the accom-
plshmcnt Of any undertaking or enterprise ana neea
not wait for an individual called employer TO associate
its effort and direct and control the Industry OUT OF
Under the present organization Of industrial SYSTEM
it idle TO say that the men In me oo
that there was conflict between their Interest and that
OF the Lord OF the Vineyard who gave tnem epo! on
| lie was in that instance their benefactor
| NO NATURAL CONFLICT BETWEEN CAPITAL AND
LABOR.
"But intelligent labor need not wait anti some man mas
hired it. 1t by operation employ self There are
mills and ana workshops employing large mum
beers OF skilled hands wherein the capital cmpioyeu Is
far less than the aggregate OF money ownel ana con-
troed by the operatives aud the operatives by their
own voluntary consent are dependent Tor EN-
| ploymcnt entirely upon the thought, the III
| tellgence and the enterprise OF an employer IL
cannot be denied that they receive rate OF wages
calculated upon the basis OF productive industry
which Will create paid TO them and also create
| a profit to the capital and enterprise employing them
There is no natural conflict between capital aud labor
even il, this relation There is conflict between the
capital invested in the plant OF mandatory ahd INC
raw material upon which the labor IA expended on the
one side aud the labor itself the other because the
a. fNa rf al
The real couct IL any exists is between two industrial
systems Labor desires that the premium paid Tor Its
employment shall be small II it cond succeed In elm
mating that premium altogether 1t will leave no en-
enlargement to the employer class aud, as we nave
already the system the employer
class is not only Indispensable but IS great pcheco
II, however, there were no proht wha,ever 70 cur
pOyer class, then .pracucai co-oPeIaIo" "o"'u 10
realized. ,,.,.u 100. a,, IL.
mand that margin OF profit 10 the employer shall be
less, they are really demanding nearer approach 70
The realization cooperation The country blacksmith
VINO employs mo @ ie Invested in his anvil ham
mer and bellows aud the labor he performs with them
because, in fact there Is nonc II he takes ia partner
there is still point at which conflict may aiise be-
tween the money Invested in tho tools and the labor
which is performed with them ana H. turtcr ia hulsp
OF the principle of cooperation he taxes ~ nse OF
between labor and capital But II he, being single pro
prctOr employs three or four lOurneymen ana out OF
as ' reward for giving them employment aud
directing their Labor, retains to himself the premium
TO him the line OF difference between the wages and the
premium may become disputed onei byt II should p9
that the dispute Is not between chh
aud labor, but between the partial ana actual reaho
Of cooperation The partnership relation VI n "I.'
partial realization OF cooperative ehOrI - Intelligence
has fnrreaseI and bcen more widely duscd among men,
greater discomfort been observable aud men say the
conflict between capital and labor IS intc lh- Mne
the real truth is that 10y the increase Oh htesc'o ~
are becoming more nearly capable OF coopcra". ~
still higher state OF lhellgehce ths po',1 ,rt he
eliminated altogether because labor eau anu WIZ DC
come It's employer through cooperative assocAuoh
The DIGNITY or LABOR.
ain addition TO the many advantages which cooperA'
ton coners upon the material prosperity OF the aOohs
csses there are great and significant benefits 10 ensuc
III TO the character OF The empoyc Is Regarded by
the employer merely In the light Of his value rs an
operative Ills productive capacity alone Is taken into
account His character for honesty ruhfulness, good
mora habits disregarded unless they Interfere with
the extent and quality OF his services But wheh men
are about to enter partnership in The wayof operation
the whole range OF character comes under careful
scrutiny. Each individual member Of a cooperative
society," being the employer OF his own labor works with
that which inseparable from the new position
he enjoys Each has interest In the other each Is
interested in the others health In his sobrety in his
Intelligence in his general competency, and each Is
guard upon the others conduct
"Thcre wculd be no iding In cooperative WORKSHOP
Each workman, being employer, has spur TO his own
nlusry. and also has pecuniary reason Tor being
watchful OF the industry OF his fellow workmen The
character OF men invariably arises WIN inc hssumPon
Of higher responsibilities and with the accession OF men
to the higher plane OF becoming their own employers
there is to be corresponding accession OF more ann
bilious and interested activity AMI higher character
Tne bill have introduced in the Senate OF the United
States If should become law. lii addition to the op
portunity it would afford for the formation of co
operative societies, would do much to attract attention
the value OF the cooperative principle upon Whcn
our Industrial systems should be founded IL viii be
governmental OF the value OF the cooperative
nrincipIe which alone can eliminate what has been
, called tho conflict between capital and labor
There are still higher considerations connecting ten
selves with this great subject said the Senator Thought
fully Take, for instance the influence OF cooperahon
upon the OF 10 tho employed class III 90
operative association conducting business ana dlVdhS
the entire proceeds of the business the dvldenus 80
created exceed the ordinary rate OF wages Iht
and the LesL luhnIcIh MOlIn lercI0Ic